Corsendonk Christmas Ale

Brewed by Du Bocq
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Purnode-Yvoir, Belgium

Bottle. Nice reddish pour with hardly any head at all. Aroma of caramel, spice, syrup, honey, and yeasty. Flavor has more alchohol than I usually like. It is a malty and sweet beer with a slight tart and hop balance. flavors in the beer include baking spices, cookies, malt and some yeasty notes. Overall not bad, but not the best ever either.

Bottle (750ml). Shared with blankboy, biegaman and garthicus. Deep clear ruby, average creamy straw-coloured head. Aroma of sweet medium-roast caramel malt, dry spice, some candied fruit, tangerines and a bit of paper (I bought the bottle almost 2 years ago - not bad!). Taste - more alcohol, the caramel malt is a little thinner, the spice is pungent yet dry, sweet and slightly biscuit/cocoa-y in the finish. Light body, a tad astringent, weak carbonation, but a nice well-blended linger; malt and dry spice. A little older, but still damned nice.

Thanks to HogTownHarry: Appearance:Cherry red with no head. Lots of floaties! Flavour: Slight cinnamon, coriander, lemon and malt. Flavour: Nice carbonation, bready, yeast, malt, winter fruits with a bitter malt finish.

Bottle from Knightly Spirits. Pours a large head over a brown/amber body. Tan lacing. Nose is slightly sour. Flavors include cola, toast, malts, and biscuit. Lively carbonation and medium/body. Not bad; way too easy to drink.

Bottle Hopduvel. Pours copper brown with a red shine. Vanilla, pepper, mint, chocolate, cloves aroma. Smoked cinnamon & burnt malts. Very lively, a bit too much acidity. A bit too unbalanced.

Draught @ De Kelk, Bruges. Huge beige head is cloudy and creamy. Liquid is clear ruby. The aroma is somewhat spicy (licorice, coriander, aniseed) and malty. Strong on arange peel, almost like orange truffles. Slightly hopped in the finish with aniseed and licorice. The flavoe is medium bodied, smooth, silky soft and low carbonated. Lightish and spiced-up kerstbier.

Draft, at Cooper’s (Scranton, PA) on 12/26/08. Pours reddish brown, capped with a small brown head. Aroma of raisins, toffee, spice and citrus. Flavor is highlighted by dark fruits, notably raisin and black cherry, with smoke, cocoa, and spice. Long fruit and spice finish. A winter classic!

(bottle, fairly old, says best by 9/09) Pours out a muddy brown with an off-white head that retains and leaves good lacing. Nice aroma of cinnamon raisin rolls, a spike of orange zest, with prominent caramel and light alcohol as well along with some pepper. As this beer warms, there is a smokiness that becomes present. Further warming along with a yeast pour produces an aroma of flat cola. Taste is lightly vinous, with some caramel, plums, orange zest, cinnamon, and nutmeg that finishes with a nice bread and light spice finish. The mouthfeel is very smooth with a medium body. This is a very good beer, and it has aged nicely.